GOP: PUBLIC WANTS DISTRICT BOARDS

"We Republicans have always urged that there be elected Boards of Education at the county level. Many Representatives from across the aisle have come to the same conclusion. Now there is a poll reinforcing our view. "The People's Pulse," a poll sponsored by the Hawaii Business Roundtable, Pacific Resource Partnership and Enterprise Honolulu, conducted earlier this month shows that 80% prefer school boards elected at the county/school district level rather than the current statewide BOE. Only 13% of those polled want to keep the statewide BOE."

"When the people were asked what they thought about the proposal to have seven elected districts (four on Oahu, one in each County on the Neighbor Islands) four of every five backed this Republican proposal. Other poll numbers showed that the residents oppose an appointed board rather than an elected BOE by a two to one margin. They also opposed giving the BOE separate taxing powers."

"Republicans and the people are in the same place: we want schools run by elected, local school boards, while keeping the equitable funding statewide tax collection provides. With this kind of broad public support, we expect to see a State Constitutional Amendment on the ballot this fall calling for elected, local school boards."

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